A Tried and Tested Prescription

A ship’s crew is not immune to illness or injury on board. The ship’s dispensary needs to contain reliable medications and other medical articles. Lagaay International, a ship’s medical supplier, is the market leader in stocking, maintaining and certifying ship’s medical lockers. Using its Medical Care System, Lagaay works in accordance with the maritime regulations of numerous flags.

By Rob Schoemaker

Proper medical care on board seagoing ships is not only a matter of humane treatment, but of economic importance. Rationalization in the shipping industry during the past few decades has led to a decrease in the number of people on board with specific, difficult to take over duties. Lost time due to illness and injury place a heavy burden on coworkers.
In the event of medical problems, a ship can use its radio to get professional help, but the required medicine must be on board, of course. The laws of the flag under which a ship sails determines which medicines and supplies must be stored in a ship’s medical locker. Other factors that play a role are the size of the crew, the type of cargo (dangerous goods) and the route the ship sails.
In addition, medicines are perishable goods and must be replaced before their expiration date. In short, managing a ship’s dispensary is a complex and time-consuming matter that carriers prefer to outsource. Lagaay International, a specialized ship’s medical supplier based in Rotterdam, answers specifically to these needs with its Medical Care System. This system has helped to make Lagaay the world’s market leader.

Complex issues

“The roots of Lagaay International are in Apotheek Lagaay which is 124 years old and has been supplying medicine and medical supplies to the shipping industry for forty years,” states managing director Boris Noordervliet. “Lagaay started in the port of Rotterdam. The previous owner, Krijn van Schagen, was sharp to notice that the leadership on board and at the shipping companies was happy to be relieved of the complex issues regarding medicines on board. In 1996, he introduced the Lagaay Medical Care System, which quickly grew to become a unique selling point. The company’s location in Rotterdam is another advantage. This region is the heart of ship movements in the world.”
At present, the company has data on more than 12,500 ships. The system contains such data as expiration dates and other information about the pharmaceuticals on board. “We use this information to check, manage, re-stock and to issue our Lagaay certificate, which verifies that everything in the medical locker is in order. We also arrange local delivery of special items such as narcotics. We supply throughout the world from basically every port. One a ship is entered into our system, we do not have to go on board personally every time to issue our certificate. But we do like to visit every ship every two or three years, preferably when the vessel is docked in a Dutch or Belgian port.”

Outdated

Lagaay has been operating in the large Scandinavian market for ten years now and the company supplies no less than three-quarters of the sizeable Norwegian and Danish fleets. After taking over local competitor Van der Laan Mediscore in 2000, Lagaay is strong in the Dutch market as well.
Noordervliet: “Our pharmacy supplies several million items (medicine and non-medicine) each year, but use on board is not very high as a rule – on average, no more than three to five per cent of stock annually. Use is generally a result of emergencies. National regulations governing ship’s dispensaries are not amended often. As a consequence, medicine stocks on board can be quite an outdated cliché: pain relievers, muscle ointments, vitamin tablets. Only the Scandinavian and Dutch regulations have been brought up-to-date recently, so those ships also have modern medicines as well.”

Raise a new flag

A popular move in the shipping sector for some years has been to re-register ships under new flags. That often means that the contents of the ship’s medical locker need to be altered according to the applicable maritime regulations. And not just new medications – new labels as well. All medicine labels must be in two languages – the language of the regulations and English. There are flags representing no less than 357 different nations and territories, although many smaller jurisdictions follow the maritime regulations drawn up by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Noordervliet: “If we notice an up and coming flag in the market, we respond to that in our pharmaceutical services. But we do more. We use colored-code labels according to medicine groups, for example, in order to reduce the chance that the wrong kind of pills are grabbed in an emergency. In addition, we also try to function in an advisory capacity for our customers. We are more than just a delivery truck.”
Because medicines are used infrequently on board, it is important that they have a long shelf life. “The shipping companies ask for that. We look for the latest expiration dates, too, and that doesn’t always please our suppliers. We guarantee an expiration date at least a year away. It actually turns out to be two years or more for 96 per cent of the medicines we supply, and that can be as long as seven to eight years.”

High fines

Other items besides the legally stipulated medications can be found in a ship’s medicine locker. What these items are depends on the carrier. “These days, in the Al Qaida era, an anti-anthrax agent is rather the rage. And surgical masks are almost impossible to keep in stock – SARS, of course. Together with the radio medical advisors, we advise carriers and legislators as to worthwhile additions. Since more and more women can be found among the crewmembers, a pregnancy test has been included. Generally speaking, it is always cheaper to have the medicine on board than to find it lacking”, states Noordervliet.
If an accident happens on board, communication between the officer on duty and the radio medical advisor takes place. The advisor refers to the sailor’s medical file (required for all crewmembers), inquires as to symptoms, asks about the flag and legislation and then informs the ships what can be found where in the medical locker. If it is not stocked according to the legislation of the flag, or if the contents are not systematically arranged, a dangerous situation could be the result.
The right stock systematically organized is essential for another reason. Inspections can result in extremely high fines if the required items are not present or if medicines are overdate. Noordervliet: “Even worse, in some ports, authorities will sometimes try to profit from this. As a precautionary measure, a captain once put the entire medical locker in the ship’s safe when the vessel called into a West African port. Normally, the only medicines kept in the safe are narcotics. During a previous visit, even the Vaseline was counted as a narcotic by an inspector bent on issuing fines.”

From Bandages to Operating Rooms

Lagaay International, led by three executives since 2000, has doubled its turnover in the last three years. Twenty-five employees, including two pharmacists, supply medicine seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
Lagaay not only serves the cargo transport sector, but the cruise industry as well. Deliveries can be quite extensive and including x-ray machines, body bags, operating rooms, defibrillators and analysis material. The offshore industry is another growth market. Every platform has a physician or paramedic on duty and an infirmary. The nature of the work on a platform and the larger numbers of people working there mean that there are more accidents.
“Nowadays, we make only a half per cent of the medicines ourselves and the rest we purchase,” says managing director Boris Noordervliet. “We keep meticulous records of what we supply from which manufacturers and suppliers. If a supplier should make a mistake, using the batch number we are able to inform a ship anywhere in the world within half an hour that the medicine has been recalled. Fortunately, we’ve never had to do that.”

Lagaay. Lagay. Laggay. Laga. La-gaay International. Apotheek. Apotheken. Pharmacy. Pharmacies. Pharmacists. Pharmaceuticals. Pharmacist. Farmacy. Ship's. Ship. Ships. Shipping. Vessels. Vessel. Vessle. Fleet. Fleets. Board. Borad. Medical. Medicine. Medicines. Medicines. Medcine. Medcal. Medications. Supplier. Suppliers. Supplies. Supplying. Provide. Providing. Provider. Offer. Safety. Safe. Equipment. Equipements. Offshore. Oofshore. Maritime. Maritimes. Regulation. Regulations. MCS. Certificates. Certification. Certify. Certifying. Expiry. Expire. Expirate. Expiration. Worldwide. World. Wide. Global. Inventory. Delivery. 125. Products. Product. Port. Ports. Lagaay is the Ship Medicine for International Pharmacy Supplier of Medical Equipment and Lifeboat Safety Rescue organisation Maritime port of Chandler Vessel in Rotterdam the Netherlands. Pot. 24-hour. Service. Update. Additional. Extra. Emergency. Care. System. Notification. Request. Netherlands. Netherland. Holand. Holland. NL. Label. Labelling. Labels. Security. Quality. Data. Info. Information. Van. Helmontstraat. Helmonstraat. Helmontstreet. 99. Tested. Prescription. IMO. Crew. Crewing. Flags. Flag. Captain. Ministries. Ministry. Healthy. Health. Members. Member. Stocking. Stock. Updated. Unique. Market. Leader. Business. Latest. Bilingual. Total. List. Changes. Changing. Issues. Outstanding. Dates. Data. Renew. Renewal. Batchcode. Code. Update. Professional. Seagoing. Leadership. Company. Co. Ltd. Check. Check-ups. Locker. Narcotic. Farmable. Fridge. Organization. Organizations. Colored. Coloured. Accident. Accidence. Turnover. Cargo. Number. No. Movement. Sales. Sale. Sell. Sailing. Selling. Network. Ports. Shipcat. Cat. Tablets. Tablet. Piece. Pcs. Pc. Catalogue. Create. Activate. Registrate. Register. Evaluate. Lagaay is the Ship Medicine for International Pharmacy Supplier of Medical Equipment and Lifeboat Safety Rescue organisation Maritime port of Chandler Vessel in Rotterdam the Netherlands. Evaluation. Scandinavian. Kits. Facilitate. Replenishing. Harbours. Harbour. Recertifying. Optimal. Additional. History. Info. Mission. Benefits. Method. Professional. 8,000. 2,500. Industry. Industries. Experts. Inspections. Practical.1876. Standard. Call. Centre. Center. Tailor-made. Bottle. Bottles. Instruction. Track. Hospital. Incentra. Drew. Law. B.V. Shipserv. Europe. European. Capsule. Compress. Gauze. Sterile. Suture. Injection. Morphine. Resuscitation. Bag. Persons. Tube. Chest. Aspirin. Powder. Dose. Alcohol. Aluminium. Lotion. Set. Clove. Oil. Glove. Eyebath. Bedpan. Crutch. Funnel. Measuring. Glass. Water. Ice. Bag. Lagaay is the Ship Medicine for International Pharmacy Supplier of Medical Equipment and Lifeboat Safety Rescue organisation Maritime port of Chandler Vessel in Rotterdam the Netherlands. Stretcher. Neil. Robertson. Scales. Blood. Pressure. Meter. Splint. Sterilizer. Stethoscope. Guide. Scalpel. Scalpel. Forceps. Scissor. Bandage. Doctorsset. oxygen. Guedel. Airway. Mask. Syringe. Calcium. Disposable. Collar. Neck. Catheter. Clinical. Cotton. Wool. Fingercot. Diagnostic. Light. Face. Microscope. Slides. Body. Pins. Nailbrush. Condoms. Sheeting. Waterproof. Suture. Silk. Syringe. Poly. Testpaper. Thermometer. Tourniquet. Tongue. Depressor. Solution. Eyedrops. Waterjel. Jel. Gel. Eyewash. Aid. MOB. Lifeboats. WHO. Belgium. BEL. Danish. DIS. Denmark. DNK. U.K. GBR. Germany. GER. Hongkong. HKG. Isle. Of. Man. Lagaay is the Ship Medicine for International Pharmacy Supplier of Medical Equipment and Lifeboat Safety Rescue organisation Maritime port of Chandler Vessel in Rotterdam the Netherlands. IOM. Malta. MLT. Norwegian. NIS. NLD. Singapore. SGP. Sweden. SWE. Norway. Dutch. WHO. BE. DK. GB. NO. MT. IM. DE. HK. SG. Bulk. Carriers. Tankers. Container. Gas. Oil. Ferry. Barge. Chemical. General. PCC. PCTC. Production. ROLO. RORO. Seismic. Survey. TUG. TM. T/C. Crewing. AS. ASA. Shipowner. Owner. Brussels. Ghent. Oostende. Gent. Zeebrugge. Varna. Aabenraa. Aalborg. Aarhus. Copenhagen. Elsinore. Esbjerg. Brest. Havre. Marseille. Hamburg. Bergen. Bodo. Oslo. Stavanger. Kristiansand. Farsund. Fredrikstad. Grimstad. Hartad. Ahus. Halmstad. Helsingborg. Ary. Barrow. Barry. Cardiff. Colchester. Gentil. Harcourt. Bordeaux. Brest. Elizabeth. Spain. Giles. Barcelona. Antwerp. Oostende. Cyprus. Authority. Aalborg. Aarhus. Finnish. Nowerail. Kemi. Kokkola. Kotka. Oulu. Pietsarsaari. Raahe. Tornio. Finland. Nowerail. Bremen. Bremerhaven. Thessaloniki. Livorno. Ravenna. Italia. Venice. Latvia. Sola. Setubal. Koper. Associacio. Catalana. Santander. Hesingborg. Malmoe. Swedish. Odessa. Tarragona. Aaociated. British. Lagaay is the Ship Medicine for International Pharmacy Supplier of Medical Equipment and Lifeboat Safety Rescue organisation Maritime port of Chandler Vessel in Rotterdam the Netherlands. Ayr, troon. Barrow. Barry. Cardiff. Colchester. Fleetwood. Garston. Goole. Great. Yarmouth. Grimsby. Hull. Immingham. Kings. Lynn. Longon. Lowesoft. Newport. Plymouth. Silloth. Swansea. Teignmouth. Whitby. Talbot. Terneuzen. Vlissingen. Den. Helder. IJmuiden. Bremerhaven. La. Havre. Algecira. Antwerpen. Flushing. Aberdeen. Marseille. Tarragona. Lissabon. Bilbao. Gilbao. Genua. Tarente. Venetie. Triest. Nantes. Touen. Duinkerken. Goteborg. Teesside. Immingham. Dubai. Capetown. Houston. Hueneme. Long. Beach. Durban.

Amsterdam en Rotterdam de stad waar Denhaag of Den Haag ooit is A Dam Zuid Hunze met monitors Aalburg de meest ideale Aalsmef er Aalten Abcoude Achtkarspelen Akersloot Alblasserdam Albrandswaard Alkemade Alkmaar Almelo Almere haven Almerebuite Buite Buiten Almerehaven. Alphen aan den Rijn Alphen-Chaam Ambt Montfort Ameland Amerongen Amersfoort Amstelveen Amsterdam Andijk Angerlo Anna Paulowna Apeldoorn dorpen of steden het maakt niet uit. Appingedam Arcen en Velden Arnhem Assen Asten Axel Baarle-Nassau Baarn Barendrecht Barneveld Bathmen Bedum Beek Beemster Beesel Bellingwedde Bemmel Bennebroek Bergambacht Bergeijk Bergen Bergen Bergen op Zoom Bergh Bergschenhoek Berkel en Rodenrijs Bernheze Bernisse Best Beuningen is de bazar ook goedkoop en goed. Beverwijk Binnenmaas Bladel Blaricum Bleiswijk Bloemendaal Boarnsterhim Bodegraven flexscreen flexibelscreen kanaal kanalen info-kanaal info kanaal presentatie presenteren present presentaties cable news cable news cablenews kabelkrant kabel krant kablekrant software hardware applicatie beheer internet web tv televisie max media aandacht maximaal adverteren reclame flexscreens mkb winkel computer monitor scherm beamer beamers projector winkels slager bakker groenteman service isource i-source flexscreennl cms. Zo'n content management systeem is een fantastische oplossing. De database Boekel Bolsward Borculo Borger-Odoorn Beek en Donk Borne Borsele Drechterland Driebergen-Rijsenburg Drachten Drimmelen Dronten Druten Duiven Echt Echteld Edam-Volendam Ede Eemnes Eemsmond Eersel Eibergen Eijsden Eindhoven Elburg Emmen Enkhuizen Enschede Epe Ermelo Etten-Leur Ferwerderadiel Franekeradeel Gaasterlân-Sleat Geertruidenberg Geldermalsen Geldrop Gemert-Bakel Gendringen Gennep Giessenlanden Gilze s-hertogenbosch shertogenbosch s-hertogenbosch Den Bosch DenBosch Zwolle certrum noord oost west zuid noord en Rijen Goedereede Goes Goirle Gorinchem Gorssel Gouda Graafstroom Graft-De Rijp Grave 's-Graveland dit lijkt net een opsomming maar misschien is het net iets anders. 's-Gravendeel 's-Gravenzande Groenlo Groesbeek Groningen Grootegast Gulpen-Wittem Haaksbergen Haaren Haarlem Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude Harenkarspel Haarlemmermeer Haelen Halderberge Hardenberg Harderwijk Hardinxveld-Giessendam Haren Harlingen Hattem Heel Heemskerk Heemstede Heerde Heerenveen Heerhugowaard Heerjansdam Heerlen Heeze-Leende Heiloo Helden Hellendoorn Hellevoetsluis Helmond Amsterdam Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht Hengelo 's-Hertogenbosch Het Bildt mulitmedia powerpoint film beelden dealer dealers info-box box ibox i-box digital consult het moet. Zo niet dan toch digital consulatnt school scholen screensaver schermbeveiliging net presenter present news support tv monitor congrescentra congrescentra's beurzen info informatie zuil zuilen informatiezuilen infozuil info-zuil info-zuilen informatie-zuil informatiezuil risc info-boxen info-box slagerswinkel innovatie bakkeswinkel monitoren screensaver reclame direct marketing visuals visual Denbosch Heumen Heusden Heythuysen Hillegom Hilvarenbeek Hilversum Hof van Twente Hontenisse Hoogeveen Hoogezand-Sappemeer Hoorn Horst aan de Maas Houten Huizen Hulst Hummelo en Keppel Hunsel Kampen Kapelle Katwijk Kerkrade Kessel Kesteren Kollumerland en Nieuwkruisland Korendijk Krimpen aan den IJssel Laarbeek Landerd Landgraaf Landsmeer Langedijk Laren Leek Leerdam Leersum Leeuwarden Leeuwarderadeel Leiden Leiderdorp Leidschendam Lelystad. Beter bereikbaar zijn voor je doelgroep is een vereiste voor Lemsterland Leusden Lichtenvoorde Liemeer. Liesveld Limmen Lingewaal Lisse Lith Littenseradiel Lochem Loenen Loon op Zand presenting shool student studenten billboards outdoor LED TFT CRT PC personal computer congres congressen jaarbeurs kabelkrant knipsels uitbereiden web technologie applicatie video videobeeld FlexScreen flexScreen isource i-source leiden leidse onderneming organisatie organiseren stands standhouders beursstand multimedia mediaplaza toekomst lift media mediacenter wereldwijd onderhoud eenvoudig school examen hbo uni universiteit studeren benaderen marketingplan scriptie flex fleks flexsscreen fleksscreen scholen musea bedrijven. Je kunt andere technieken inzetten om te zoeken naar klanten Loosdrecht Lopik Loppersum Losser Maarn Maarssen Maasbracht Maasbree Maasdonk Maasdriel Maasland Maassluis. Maastricht Margraten Marum Medemblik Meerlo-Wanssum Meerssen Meijel Menaldumadeel Menterwolde Meppel Middelburg Middelharnis Midden-Drenthe Mierlo Mill en Sint Hubert Millingen aan de Rijn Moerdijk Monster Montfoort Mook en Middelaar Moordrecht Muiden Naaldwijk Naarden Nederhorst den Berg Nederlek Nederweert Neede Neerijnen Nuenen Gerwin en Nederwetten Niedorp Nieuw-Lekkerland Nieuwegein Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel Nieuwkoop Nijefurd Nijkerk Nijmegen Noord-Beveland Noordenveld Noorder-Koggenland Noordoostpolder Noordwijk Noordwijkerhout. Nootdorp Nunspeet Nuth Obdam Oegstgeest Oirschot Oisterwijk Oldebroek Oldenzaal Olst Ommen Onderbanken Oostburg Oosterhout Oostflakkee Ooststellingwerf Oostzaan Opmeer Opsterland Oss Oud-Beijerland Ouder-Amstel Ouderkerk Oudewater Overbetuwe Papendrecht Pekela Pijnacker Purmerend Putten Raalte Ravenstein Reeuwijk Reiderland Reimerswaal Renkum. Renswoude Reusel-De Mierden Rheden Rhenen Ridderkerk Rijnsburg Rijnwaarden Rijnwoude Rijssen Rijswijk Roerdalen Roermond Roggel en Neer Roosendaal Rotterdam Rozenburg Rozendaal Rucphen Ruurlo Sas van Gent Sassenheim Schagen Scheemda Schermer Scherpenzeel Schiedam Schiermonnikoog Schijndel Schinnen. Schipluiden Schoonhoven Schouwen-Duiveland Sevenum Simpelveld Sint Anthonis Sint-Michielsgestel Sint-Oedenrode Sittard-Geleen Skarsterlân Sliedrecht Slochteren Sluis-Aardenburg. Smallingerland Sneek Soest Someren Son en Breugel Spijkenisse Stadskanaal Staphorst Stede Broec Steenbergen Steenderen Steenwijk Stein Strijen Susteren Swalmen Ten Boer Ter Aar Terneuzen Terschelling Texel Tholen Thorn. machines vroeg en nu Tiel Tilburg Tubbergen Tynaarlo Tytsjerksteradiel Ubbergen Uden Giethoorn Hoorn Uitgeest Uithoorn Urk Utrecht Vaals Valkenburg Wijk Weik Nederland. Nederlandse Holland DutchValkenburg aan de Geul Valkenswaard Veendam Veenendaal Veere Veghel Veldhoven Velsen Venhuizen Venlo Venray Vianen Vlaardingen Vlagtwedde Vlieland Vlissingen Vlist Voerendaal Voorburg Voorhout Voorschoten Voorst Vorden Vriezenveen Vught Waalre Waalwijk Waddinxveen Wageningen Warmond Warnsveld Wassenaar Wateringen Waterland Weert Weesp Wehl Werkendam Wervershoof West Maas en Waal Wester-Koggenland Westerveld Westervoort Weststellingwerf Westvoorne Wierden Wieringen Wieringermeer Wijchen. De isource webpagina is ook aardig vindbaar, Wijk bij Duurstede Winschoten Winsum Winterswijk Wisch Woensdrecht Woerden Wognum feestzalen teletekst berichten berichtenservice wap televisie tv electronisch online kabelkrant mededelingen aankondigingen lesrooster roosterwijzigingen evenementen waarschuwingen verordeningen pointcast internal communications employee communications newscasting. Vindbaarheid is er belangrijk volgnummersysteem schoolkrant volgnummer volgnummersysteem nummersysteem verwijzing zaalverwijzing hoteltelevisie infokanaal. infokrant informatiesysteem presentatiesysteem prikletterbord congrescommunicatie hotelautomatisering zaalreservering televisiepresentatie monitorsysteem schoolrooster roosterwijzigingen lesroosterWormerland Woudenberg Woudrichem Wűnseradiel Wymbritseradiel Zaanstad Zaltbommel Zandvoort Zederik Zeevang Zeewolde Zeist Zelhem Zevenaar Zevenhuizen-Moerkapelle Zijpe Zoetermeer Zoeterwoude Zuidhorn Zundert Zutphen Zwijndrecht Zwartewaterland Zwolle Nederlandse Nederland Dutch.